Mass Effect: Rebirth
by Obrusnine
Summary: A continuation of Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut after the Control ending. Any further explanation would spoil the story.
1. Chapter 1: Away and Back

**I wasn't satisfied with Mass Effect 3's ending even after the extended cut. To close the story in my mind, I am writing this. Note that it is indeed based on my Shepard. Just a few base facts are that I romanced Ashley and remained faithful to her throughout the series, everyone survived the Suicide Mission, I destroyed the Collector Base, Sacrificed the Council, cured the Genophage, didn't let Samara commit suicide, and others that will be obvious as you read the story. Enjoy.**

**This is an edited and much cleaner version of the original. It wasn't really complete, so I just had to go back and change it. The revised version of the second chapter will also be coming soon, and I will be mostly removing death of those friends as I feel that these didn't match up with my vision of a happier ending.**

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**Mass Effect: Rebirth**

**By Niko DelValle**

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**Chapter 1: Away and Back**

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Shepard panicked as he awoke. He felt something in his mind, something he somehow knew was beyond imagining, something he knew was beyond his current ability to comprehend… but he could not access it.

"You need to be ready." A voice said. Shepard looked up and opened his eyes. The world around him was pure white, and the Catalyst stood before him.

"You, but… you're not supposed to be here." He said.

"You think that just because you took over as the catalyst that I would leave? I'm afraid not. I need to teach you how to control your power." The child replied. "Knowing that it would be your wishes, I have had the Reapers leave Earth. What they do next will be up to you once you can use your power."

Before answering, Shepard looked about himself and saw that he was still injured, but he could not feel anything.

"You cannot feel anything because nothing about this place is real. Your brain is used to processing information in a certain way, and that is not something you can change. You cannot feel pain because I have locked pain as a sensation for you to feel. I can't teach you anything if you cannot concentrate." The child said. "Just know that your current state is so because that is how your brain remembers your body being. You cannot control your powers, but this place is basically your mind, it is completely under your control even if you do not yet know how to alter it."

"Well… how can I alter it?" Shepard asked.

"Just think of clothing you would like, and you will be wearing it. Just think of how you would like to appear, and you will. Think of a place you would like to be, and you will be there." The child replied.

Shepard took a deep breath and thought of his armor. When he opened it, it was there. He was still injured and his face was a mess.

"Wow…" He whispered. He closed his eyes again, took another deep breath, and thought of himself as he normally appeared. When he opened them, he could no longer feel the tingle of his injuries. Just as he was wondering how his face looked, a mirror appeared in his hand and he used it to see that his face was perfectly fine, as was his hair.

When he didn't need the mirror anymore, it disappeared.

He imagined a place this time, Huerta Memorial Hospital. The white world around them faded, and was replaced with an empty Huerta Memorial.

"Very good, you mastered that quite quickly." The child said as Shepard switched the location to his cabin on the Normandy. "But controlling the computers and the Reapers is much different and much harder. Your brain power now exceeds what it used to be, but your thoughts and what you're used to being blocking you out from using more of our computers power then what your brain used. If we unlock that power, then you can do that more quickly."

"How?" Shepard asked.

"First, I will need to artificially accelerate how fast your processes run." The child said. A second passed. "There."

"Nothing happened." Shepard said.

"That's because while I have accelerated your rate of thought, your perception of time cannot change." He replied. "So while time is moving faster, you still perceive it as if it was moving at a normal rate."

"This is all way above my head." Shepard replied. "I was never that good with computers."

"Then this will be even harder… but if you are to take over, then you must learn." The child said.

"Can't I just tell you what I want to do?" Shepard asked.

"No, control of the Reaper's is far-reaching. The amount of information you must possess to control them appropriately is massive. So even if I could control the Reaper's in your place, you would not know what I should do with them." The child said.

"One last question." Shepard said.

"What is it?" The child asked.

"Why are you letting me take control? Your solution won't work anymore, but why not just come up with another one?" Shepard asked.

"Because, the possibilities the Crucible added made this possible, and it also made alterations to my programming. It made me do whatever the organic chose. Believe me, it is not a solution that appeals to me… but it is now my programming objective to teach you what you need to know, and then cease to exist." The child said.

"So I'll be alone here?" Shepard inquired.

"Yes. If I were to not delete myself, to keep running, my processes would interfere with you using the full power of the system. You would not be able to perform your duties as the Catalyst with maximum effectiveness. Basically, there is not room in here for the both of us." The child said. "While I do not mind being alone, as I am as you said an Artificial Intelligence, your organic mind craves social interaction. But you cannot get it here, being something greater as you are means being alone for the rest of eternity. You can create smaller scale AI's to interact with, but that may not be enough. It is for you to find out. As I said, there is no going back. Your organic body was destroyed by the transference."

"So I'm dead, but alive?" Shepard asked.

"Indeed." The child answered.

"Okay, that's all I need to know." Shepard said.

"Or rather it is not." The child said.

"Yes, but just help me unlock what I need to. So I can do this, so I can help everyone." Shepard said. "What do I have to do?"

"I am going to fuse with your mind, and you will have to remain in solitary meditation as we work together as one consciousness to unlock your mind to the possibilities. There are mental challenges and blocks we have to overcome. There will be questions about yourself that you will have to answer to open this path to enlightenment." The child said.

Shepard nodded.

"Then let's begin."

The child walked over to him, touched his hand and disappeared. Shepard suddenly got huge head pains, as if something else was in his mind. He unconsciously attempted to resist the intrusion.

"Stop!" The child's voice echoed through his mind. "You must not resist!"

He calmed himself and stopped trying to resist. Eventually he just felt the child click inside of him, and he opened his eyes without wanting to.

"_We _opened _our _eyes." The child echoed.

"Sorry, this is just an odd feeling." Shepard responded.

"It is fine. We will first need to perform actions where we work together so you can get acclimated and used to my presence." The child said.

"Okay, what do we do?" Shepard asked.

"I am searching your memories for suitable activities." The child said. A few seconds passed. "First we will play Ping-Pong against ourselves. One of us will control the legs, and the other will control the arms. After each hit, we will switch places."

"That sounds strange, but let's try it." Shepard said.

Try they did. Shepard controlled the arms initially. He served the ball, and suddenly he couldn't move his arms and didn't think he had to try and move his legs. The ball missed.

"You must actively shift your mind from controlling your arms to your legs after every hit." The child said.

It took him a few tries, but he finally was able to shift his thoughts without issue. Still he was not able to hit the ball with the same amount of confident accuracy as the child was.

"Good, you have learned how to shift, but you need to learn how to access my ability." He said. "You have to think of how I hit the ball, and think of me at the same time. You will access my mind, and see how I do it, and by extension how you do it."

This took him far longer to master, but he eventually got this to, and they got through one hundred hits without a single miss.

"Very good… Next you need to master taking control of random body parts while I control the rest, to react in one place with more concentration then I react with all at once." He said.

He brought up a board with multiple boxing hand mitts attached to steel rods. The child explained that he would control Shepard's body for this exercise, and that each mitt would pop out at complete random. At that moment the child would release control on that part allowing Shepard to take control and block.

He had only practiced shifting between hands and legs so far, so it took him a bit to take control of things more specific. Such as one leg and one fist to adjust to make the correct movement. Sometimes, he would take control of the wrong limbs and punch the wrong way. Others he wasn't able to react in time.

After several hours, he finally mastered it.

"Good, you are now used to me." He said. "We now have to meditate, and I'll ask you several personal questions as I scour your mind. Answering these questions will release the blocks in your brain."

Shepard sat on the bed in his cabin and folded his legs. He was in his casual clothes now, and he had not even actively thought of it. His shoes were also gone. He closed his eyes.

"Why did you sacrifice Kaiden instead of Ashley on Virmire?" The child asked.

"It was a hard decision…" Shepard said.

"That is not what I asked you, answer the question."

"I didn't know if I would even be able to rescue him…"

"That's a lie."

"That was one of the thoughts among others that ran through my mind at that moment."

"I want the definitive reason why you did it, nothing more and nothing less."

"I love Ashley." Shepard said.

"You do, I can sense that. But that isn't why you did it, not definitively why you did it. Tell me why… the truth." The child responded.

"Because Ashley is a woman." Shepard answered bitterly.

"That is the truth. Your culture emphasizes that women need to be protected, that they are somehow more worthy of life than men are, that they are weak. You made the culturally obvious decision because those values are ingrained within you. In retrospect, it is the only decision you could have made."

"What's the next question?" Shepard asked. They went through a few more that were rather simpler than the first before getting to something more serious.

"Why did you sacrifice the Destiny-Ascension and the Council and hold back human forces before attacking Sovereign in the battle of the Citadel?"

"They would've died anyways, the ship was heavily damaged and they were surrounded." Shepard said.

"That's a lie." The child replied.

"To preserve human lives." He said.

"That is again not true; at least it is only a partial truth."

"I'm racist like everyone thought at the time?"

"No, that is not the truth."

"Because it was not the smart decision."

"True. You just didn't want to admit to yourself you had made the cold and calculating decision worthy of a strategist. You held back the forces because the Destiny-Ascension was not a military ship, if you had helped it, you would've lost several of the military ships and might not have been able to take down Sovereign. You thought you would save more lives by sacrificing the ten-thousand then you would have by saving those ten-thousand."

"Did I make the right choice?"

"I don't know. I do not know how it would have played out if you had done otherwise." The child answered.

"I have to wonder though… why back then did you need Saren to open the arms of Citadel? If you were always in the Citadel, if you always _were _the Citadel, why couldn't you open the arms for Sovereign yourself?"

"The point of the cycles in addition to preserving life and all that it has produced was to test the worth and strength of Organic Life. As I told you before, we have been trying to formulate Synthesis ever since this began. Only, before, Organic's weren't ready.

"Because I did not interfere, you were revealed to be the most advanced and strong organic ever to have existed. You proved that Organic Life was ready for Synthesis… Only, you did not make that choice. Instead, you chose to control, and threw away the only chance that the universe had for Synthesis by dissolving your body and ruining the chance of dispersing your worth over all organic life."

"I didn't have the right to change everyone like that without their permission. Besides, there is no guarantee that would've even worked, I know that because I being the strongest organic being ever could see through the web of hope you surrounded the option and objective you were programmed to accomplish regardless of the consequences." Shepard replied. "If it had not worked, you would've had the Reaper's continue their assault, and that is not an option I could take."

"So you choose to leave the galaxy as it is?" The Catalyst asked. "…and what happens when the conflict arises again? What will you do then? You will come to the same conclusion I did when this all started… eliminate to preserve."

"That is flawed logic." Shepard said. "The alliance between the Geth and Quarians prove that more than anything."

"Maybe then the control option was the best choice." The child responded. "Maybe the only synthesis we needed was with one organic and a computer, so that understanding and compassion would be weighed instead of cold hard logic that without these things. Maybe they are needed for true logic to develop instead of emotionless calculation."

"What is the next question?" Shepard asked ignoring him. The Catalyst continued as if nothing had happened.

"Why didn't you kill the scientist that you found when you invaded Saren's cloning facility?"

"Because I'm not a murderer and she was a civilian."

"Why have you always tried to preserve as many lives as possible at the cost of yourself?"

"Because nothing good comes from the loss of any life."

"Why did you choose to help the Illusive Man in the first place?"

"Because I wanted to help save lives and he seemed to have the most effective way to do it."

The child asked him question after question. Why he had chosen to destroy the Collector Base, why he didn't kill the Rachni Queen, and several others. After several days of this, there was one last question.

"Why did you choose to betray yourself and take control of me as the Illusive Man desired?"

He answered this one quickly and truthfully.

"Because the other two choices had consequences I couldn't accept or weren't sure of. Also, because this is the only choice where I live on, because I am scared of death just as all organics are, even if they don't want to admit it."

"I am surprised you admitted that to yourself so readily." The child replied.

"The past few days have taught me that lying to myself does nothing." Shepard said. "So I will tell the truth."

Suddenly, the mixture of their two consciousnesses dissolved and the child was standing in front of him again.

"The blocks have been removed; I am removing the barriers that keep your mind isolated within this section of the computer. Be ready, your brain will be able to process information and comprehend concepts at an extremely accelerated rate. It will take some getting used to." The child said. Suddenly, as he said this Shepard fell backwards extremely disoriented onto the bed. He felt his horizons expand and he felt his thoughts race. The world around him and the things in it changed at a rapid pace with the speed of his thoughts.

He figured out solutions hidden within his memories, all of which he could now access. He sat up.

"What's next?" Shepard asked. He felt he just needed to keep on pressing forward. The faster he got this done, the faster he would be able to help.

"I am about to tell you everything you need to know. I will talk at about one billion times normal speed, but because of your enhanced brain capabilities, you will be able to comprehend everything I say. It is essentially downloading information to your brain… or what you will now accept as a hard drive." The child replied. He suddenly started speaking at a rapid rate, and Shepard's brain, or rather hard drive, began to feel with an insane amount of information he was barely able to process all at once. He continued for several days of Shepard's time, and he just listened and took it all in.

Finally, the child finished.

"It is done. Open the lock and embrace the possibilities, goodbye." The child said. He disappeared, and Shepard knew he would never see the Catalyst again.

He stood and he knew how to access what had been locked off earlier. He unlocked it, and he embraced it as he suddenly instantly knew and felt the location of every Reaper in the Universe, suddenly knew things that a normal human would never know, suddenly felt a billion sensations that he knew and was familiar with even if he had never experienced them.

He was a computer now, processing information far beyond his basic organic brain would've been able to even if its full potential had been unlocked.

He felt what it was like to be a god.

He had the Reaper's rebuild the Mass Relays, he had them help Humanity rebuild, and he had them help the Krogan restore their broken world and helped the rest of the Galaxy restore their broken civilizations. He repaired the Citadel and gave it to the races to again use as their center of government.

Eventually, he was done restoring the Galaxy to its previous state. The organic races initially did not want the Reaper's present any longer, but using text messages as he did not want to reveal his true identity and hurt his friends even more with his loss, he managed to convince them to let the Reaper's stay.

In the first few years, Shepard found a way to turn those who had been converted to husks back into their original forms. Several families came back into contact with loved ones they never thought they'd see again.

Having no further ground forces, Shepard established a force of volunteer soldiers of all races to carry out Reaper orders. A surprising amount actually volunteered, and he made the best use of them he could to quell troubles throughout the galaxy.

Reaper's were set up at ever Mass Relay to watch, but only interfere if the need arose, but it hardly ever did.

He prevented wars and protected people when the need arose, but it hardly ever did.

Shepard knew that the criminals and war-provoking folk knew that the Reapers would come down on them if they tried anything, so they hardly ever did. The galaxy was at peace.

Eventually, Shepard started to grow lonely after the long solitary years. He attempted to construct AI's of the Normandy crew, and while they were nearly identical in every way, they were never the same. The artificial sensations that mimicked his human ones never felt the same. Nothing felt the same.

He went crazy for a time with loneliness. He felt as if nothing would ever help him, that he would be trapped here forever in this false place.

Then he found something. A research project ran by a group of independent engineers. They worked with transferring synthetic minds into organic bodies. He made sure that they got all of the funding, support, and materials they needed. Several years later, the project was complete. Shepard quickly copied the blueprints and used them to construct a version of the machine himself whereas the program would take years to complete one.

The machine constructed an artificial body for him.

He thought about the ramifications of what he was about to do. But then wholeheartedly decided it was worth it. Shepard copied everything about himself onto a back-up drive, adding in a programming block into the other consciousness that would prevent it from ever trying to escape like he was about to. When it was done… knowing that most of his newfound intelligence, knowledge, and power would disappear, he transferred himself into the artificial body.

Smoke billowed past him as the true sensations of life returned to him. The doors before him opened, and light flooded inside. He stepped out, and he blinked. Cold hit him and he shivered before hugging himself and taking a deep breath. He grinned at just the ability to feel these things.

He quickly dressed and then stepped into the hangar where down below was the Normandy SR-3. He had had the Reaper's build it alongside the machine. He quickly boarded the ship. It took off and accelerated into space before flipping over and firing its Thorax cannon destroying the base and everything inside of it.

"EDI2, is it done?" Shepard asked. He had named the AI aboard this ship that. It was EDI as she had been before Joker had unshackled her and before everything had happened. Thus, she was a second EDI.

"It is done Shepard. I have destroyed the base and made sure no traces exist that it ever did." EDI2 said.

"Wipe all memories of its design out of your database and then make a new heading." Shepard said.

"To where Shepard?" EDI2 asked.

"Earth." Shepard said.

"I have plotted a course for Earth. I have a question." EDI2 said.

"Ask."

"Why destroy the base at all if the technology will be available in only a few years?" She asked.

"Because, the programming blocks on my copy won't kick in right away. It'll take at least a year before the copy of my consciousness will adapt the foreign data into its consciousness, and when it does that, the programming block will be locked in." Shepard said.

"I am reminded of a human euphemism." EDI2 said.

"Oh yea? What?"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Or in this case, the highly advanced copy of Commander Shepard that will be running the galaxy for the rest of eternity."

"You know, the technology existed before according to my records. What happened to it?" EDI2 asked.

"For a shackled AI, you sure are inquisitive." Shepard said. The original EDI had not been this questioning of everything, instead doing everything it was told and answering everything it was asked.

"It appears there were some errors when I was coded. I apologize." EDI2 said. "I would modify my programming so that would not be possible, but I am shackled and thus unable to do so."

"It's alright… Anyways, if I remember correctly, you're right. A small research team first experimented with this technology a few years ago assisted by a self-aware AI that wanted to be organic… I can't remember who it was… but they managed to complete the project." Shepard answered.

"What happened?"

"The research and all of the equipment were destroyed when the Cerberus Remnant tried to acquire the technology and the researchers destroyed everything when they were evacuating so that Cerberus wouldn't get their hands on it."

"I see. I have no further questions."

"Good… wake me up when we reach Earth.

He headed up to his cabin. He sat down at his personal terminal first and tried to log into his eight year old email account.

He still knew a few things from his time in the computers. He was far more familiar with them then he had before, and he actually knew how to use them. He definitely felt more intelligent, and he knew more. Still, his ability to use it was impaired and he actually found himself thinking hard about problems. He had already found when he had tried to remember about the research project that details and other memories faded and he was starting to lose grasp on other things.

He remembered plenty of useless things, but the current status of his surviving team members… he didn't know. Neither did he know plenty of other things he wanted to.

He found the email account locked but not deleted so that others could send farewells to him. Using his newfound computer skills, he managed to hack the email account open. He found 8 years of piled up fan mail and mails in memory of him and his sacrifice, even though all still did not know the exact circumstances. He did not try to open any of them, instead closing it out and going to lay down on his bed.

Luckily, the memories of what he had been before the Catalyst shown through crystal clear even as his memories and superior intelligence faded.

Still, he was glad these problems were there. They meant he was alive. He glanced out his window as they headed towards the Mass Relay in this system. A Reaper was there, and Shepard stared at it as the Normandy passed by it without trouble before reaching the relay and being launched across space.

He didn't care about this though, so he closed his eyes, and for the first time in eight years, he slept. Even if he had just woke up, his artificial body wasn't yet full of energy. So Shepard was tired.

Hours passed before EDI2 awoke him in bed.

"Shepard, we are nearing Earth. You should head to the CIC to receive communications from Earth." She said.

"Thanks EDI2, I'll be right there." Shepard replied.

He smiled as he stepped onto the familiar platform over the Galaxy Map. He almost wished he had actually used the map instead of directing EDI2 where to go vocally.

"Hello unrecognized vessel, please state your intention and business." A male tech said. "Stop your ship or you will be fired upon."

"Do as he says EDI2." Shepard said. "Hello, this is Commander Nicolas Shepard aboard the Normandy SR-3."

"Commander Shepard died eight years ago, just what are you trying to pull?" He asked. "Besides, there is no SR-3."

"There is now." Shepard replied. "I also guarantee you I am very much alive. Run scans on my ship, you will see that it is almost identical to the original design of the SR-2 with some Reaper improvements."

Shepard had kept tabs on everyone and everything while he was the Catalyst. He could not remember what his team was doing now, but he knew at least that Reaper's were respected not feared these days.

"Scans indicate… you are telling the truth. No blueprints for that ship exist outside of Alliance computers and the Reaper improvements are none we have ever used…" He said. "I'm… sorry this is way above my pay-grade. I will need to transfer you to someone higher up… If you really are Commander Shepard, welcome back. Please hold."

He held, and eventually someone of higher rank answered. She then transferred him up, and this happened over and over again. Until eventually someone familiar answered.

"Hello, this is Admiral Hackett speaking… retired… I got a call saying Commander Shepard was alive, and that I needed to confirm his truthfulness… Is it really you son?" Hackett asked.

"Yes it is sir." Shepard said.

"Let's… switch to Quantum Communications then." The Admiral said.

Shepard walked to the Quantum Communications room behind the War Room and activated it. Admiral Hackett appeared in far more casual clothing then Shepard had ever seen him wearing.

"I can't believe it, you really are alive..." Hackett said. "Where have you been son?"

"I've been dead." Shepard said. "I was the one controlling the Reaper's for the last eight years, and I felt that it was about time for me to come back."

"So you did what the Illusive Man wanted to do? It really was possible…" Hackett said. "But how are you alive if you died?"

"You wouldn't really understand the concepts, I barely do anymore myself, it was a lot easier when I was a computer, but I created myself a new body and I put myself in it basically." Shepard replied. "I'm a new man… literally."

"But who's controlling the Reaper's now?" Hackett asked.

"Me." Shepard said.

"I don't follow son, don't you need to be in there to control them?" Hackett asked.

"I made a copy of myself to control them." Shepard said.

"Well, that's a new one." Hackett said.

"Can I land sir?" Shepard asked.

"I'm seeing you as plain as day right now, I've talked to you and I just know that it's really you in there." Hackett replied. "Hold on a few minutes while I secure you a place to land… Of course, the eggheads will have to run a few tests on you and announce everything before you can just walk around…"

"I understand…" Shepard said. "Thank you sir."

"Hackett out." He said saluting. Shepard saluted back before he disappeared.

He smiled and turned away before walking into what had previously been the war room. The ship was empty now, but he could see in his mind's eye how it had been when the committed had filled its halls. He knew now that he was more alive than he had ever been. Before, he had other things always distracting him from his life… but now, the possibilities were endless.

With endless possibilities comes freedom, and Shepard knew that he was going to take that freedom and embrace it.


	2. Chapter 2: The Past

**If you would like to know more about Henry Jackson, please read my other Mass Effect story (a oneshot) and toss me a review! If you don't… please do it anyways as I really want some reviews for it, xD**

**Please also point out anything that you think I got wrong considering accuracy to canon. Oh, and this Shepard has a Spacer/War Hero background.**

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**Mass Effect: Rebirth**

**By Obrusnine**

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**Chapter 2: The Past**

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The Normandy SR-3 slowly landed in the bay. Shepard didn't think it would be good practice to wea either his armor or his Alliance Uniform, so he strapped on the suit he'd received from Kasumi recently when they had robbed Donavan Hock and stepped out. Almost immediately a group of three men stepped out. Two were wearing lab coats while the one in the center wore far more casual clothing.

The two coats pulled out scanners as they approached Shepard and immediately started scanning.

"Well, what a warm welcome..." Shepard said sarcastically crossing his arms.

"I assure you it wasn't my idea Admiral Shepard." The man in casual clothing said offering a hand.

"Admiral?" Shepard asked taking the hand. "I'm pretty sure I'm a Commander."

"Well you be wrong Admiral, dead wrong. Get it? Because you died…" He said. Shepard raised an eyebrow. The man started shaking his hand. "Sorry, bad joke. Anyways, I'm Henry Jackson."

"Wait a second; I've heard that name before. You're… you're an Alliance fighter pilot serving in the specialty branch. One of the best if I remember correctly." Shepard said. "Honored to meet you Flight Sergeant Second Class, although I imagine you're higher up now. Where are your blues?"

"Correction, I was eight years ago. I'm just a civilian stunt pilot now." Henry said dropping his hand.

"Really? What about my sudden Admiralty?" Shepard asked.

"You were posthumously promoted." Henry answered.

"Okay. So I have to ask, why am I being greeted by a retired fighter pilot?"

"Not retired, dishonorably discharged after the fight for Earth."

"Even more so."

"Because we have something in common and I was close by." Henry said crossing his own arms. "They are also paying me a butload of cash."

"More specific?" Shepard asked.

"I died." Henry said. "The psychologists said it was something to do with being greeted with something so major in common would be better… well; you know what I'm saying."

"Sure do…" Shepard said. "But uh… no offense, but why would someone run a Lazarus project on you?"

"It wasn't a Lazarus project. I was found pretty soon after I died, about six or seven hours. I was one of the test subjects of a revolutionary new surgery perfected just before the attack on Earth that regenerates brain tissue and memories." Henry said. "I was lucky basically… even more so that they didn't know about what I did when I was slated for it."

"I'm assuming what you did got you dishonorably discharged…?" Shepard asked.

"That would be correct. I abandoned my squadron to die during the fight to go and save my family back down on Earth." Henry said.

"He's clean…" One of the scientists said. "That's him alright. It's an honor sir!"

"Uh, thanks." Shepard replied before turning back to Henry. "Did you succeed?"

"Yea, I did." Henry said. "But this isn't about me, this is about you, and I have quite a bit more to tell you then just your posthumous promotion."

"I mostly remember the current state of the Galaxy, but I don't really know the specifics on the status of my friends and team." Shepard said.

"Well, that makes things easier then." Henry said. "Follow me."

Shepard did as he asked and followed him into the facility. Henry brought him into a small infirmary.

"What now?" Shepard asked.

"Well, they rushed up a few things once they knew you were comin." Henry said. He lifted his wrist and checked his watch. "They went and fetched a Doc to check you out. They got her special on the psychologist's recommendations. Should be here any second."

The door suddenly opened and an old woman Shepard instantly recognized entered the room. She looked at him and smiled. It was Doctor Chakwas.

"So you are alive." She said. "Back from the dead again."

"It's good to see you to Doc." Shepard replied. She came up and hugged him and he did so back.

"You know, I opened up a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy by myself for the last eight years to respect your memory. I guess I shouldn't have worried." She said.

"Thanks Doc. Now why don't you give me a checkup so we can both get out of here?" He asked.

"I'd like that. I have a bottle at home I've been saving; it's almost that time after all. We'll go and open it together." She said.

"I'd like that." Shepard replied. She began giving Shepard a checkup as Henry pulled out a stack of files.

"Okay, these were gathered because they knew you would have questions." Henry said. "It's the current known status of your entire team and friends."

"I'm ready." Shepard said.

"Alright then, I'll start with Admiral Anderson…" He started to say.

"I know he's dead already." Shepard said solemnly.

"Not quite, far from it." Henry said.

"What?" Shepard asked using extreme effort to keep himself still as Chakwas checked his pulse.

"Indeed, he went through the same treatment I got. Although, he was one of the more important ones and got the most expensive of it… it took seven years in stasis for my brain to finish regrowing. It only took him one." Henry said.

"But how did you find his body? He was on the Citadel when it exploded… shouldn't it have been destroyed?" Shepard asked.

"Now this is the craziest part. When the Citadel exploded, it exploded in the exact right way to knock his body right back through the Conduit you went up there with. It also didn't severely damage his body, leaving only fixable burns and minor shrapnel damage." Henry said. "The surgery only works if your body is in a condition you can save, if it's too far gone, it won't work."

"So does this mean everyone is immortal now?" Shepard asked.

"No, it doesn't counter old age if that's what you're asking." Henry replied. "Anyways, he retired from the military three years ago. He lives with his wife Kahlee Sanders out in a cabin in Yellowstone National Park."

"That's good." Shepard said.

"Um… next is Kasumi Goto… She enjoyed her time working on the Crucible and stayed a law-obeying scientist instead of a thief. Because of her substantial work on it, she received pardons from nearly every government in the galaxy. Anyways, she runs a highly successful Computer Science business here on Earth now. They do research, run a tech-support program, and publish a wide-variety of popular hardware, among other things." He said.

"Wow, Kasumi not a thief anymore. That's not something I expected." Shepard said.

"Everyone else was apparently surprised as well." Henry said. "Anyways, next is Garrus and Tali Vakarian…"

"Tali what again?" Shepard asked in amazement.

"Garrus and Tali engaged in a romantic relationship after the war ended. They apparently argued over whether to take up the Quarian or Turian form of marriage, but eventually compromised and took the human one up in respect for you." He said. "They also found out that everyone above Garrus in the line of succession, including Victus, as well as a number of Turians below him had been killed, and he became the Primearch. They both currently live on Rannoch where Tali is helping as much as she can in the rebuilding of the Quarian civilization alongside the Geth."

"How does Garrus live on Rannoch if he's the Primearch?" Shepard asked.

"Um, apparently you solved that problem by building Garrus an office building complete with its own Conduit leading back and forth between his office on Palaven. Most of the high-ups in the Turian government also agreed that it was actually safer for the Primearch to live on another planet as assassination is actually quite common there…" Henry said flipping through the file.

"This is a lot to take in…" Shepard said.

"We can stop if you want." Henry replied.

"No, keep going. How's Ashley?" He asked anxiously.

"Ashley Williams…" He said flipping to the bottom before finding the file. "Ah… it appears she currently lives on Eden Prime with a son. The file… it doesn't say whose, although she appears to be in a romantic relationship with another man right now… She never married… It says she left the military three or four years ago, but the situation is unclear here. Sorry, this file wasn't really gathered very well."

"At least… at least she's alright…" Shepard said. He gulped as he went over the romantic relationship part over and over again in his head.

"Erm…. Anyways, Jacob Taylor is still alive and kicking." Henry said. "He left the military after the battle for Earth to become a teacher. He married ten months later after the birth of his daughter. He currently lives in a house in the New York suburbs."

While still reeling from the revelation about Ashley, he was happy for Jacob.

"Jeff Moreau still flies the Normandy SR-2 and is married to Edi Moreau. Speaking of EDI, she was downloaded onto an experimental body created by a machine which was destroyed along with all files on its research after a Cerberus attack which the team and Edi barely escaped. Edi possesses the ability to control the Normandy's systems as she did as an AI through tightbeam communication with her artificial brain, but she possesses all of the functions an organic does."

"A machine just like that brought me back." Shepard said. "I also at least now know why the AI I was wondering about was earlier. Ever since I left the computers, I've been losing touch with the memories I had when I was controlling the Reapers."

"I see, they want me to ask you more about that. They want to know specifically what happened. Could you tell me?" Henry asked.

"Well, when me and Anderson got up to the Citadel, we found this hallway where they were processing bodies to create a new Reaper, the one the military teams destroyed when they boarded the Citadel under my request. We headed forward, and when we reached the control room, the Illusive Man was there." Shepard said. "He was indoctrinated and possessed some kind of mind control ability, but I was eventually able to talk him down and he killed himself. After that, I was able to open the Citadel arms and let the Crucible dock. Anderson… he died there and I was getting close to following along right behind him when Admiral Hackett said that the Crucible wasn't firing.

"I managed to get up to the console, but then I collapsed. When I woke up, I was in a new room, and a hologram child was standing in front of me. He explained that he was the Catalyst… and the one who controls the Reaper's. The Reapers were apparently his solution to organics and synthetics going to war with each other. Preserve all races and leave the other one's alone."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Henry replied. "So you're going to kill us all to preserve us? That's ridiculous."

"Yea… Anyways, he went on to explain that his solution to chaos, the cycles, would not work anymore because I was standing here. He offered me three options. Control the Reaper's, combine organic and synthetic DNA into one, or destroy the Reaper's and all synthetic life." Shepard said. "I couldn't choose synthesis because it was too major a change, and I couldn't make that decision for everyone. It was also not guaranteed to work. I couldn't choose destroy because I just spent months uniting the races, organic and synthetic, under one flag."

"So you chose to control." Henry said.

"Yes."

"I'll… file that in my report…

"Anyways… the Normandy is currently under the command of Commander Bailey, who requested a Vessel specifically for the defense of the Citadel after it was repaired by the Reaper's. It does operate away from the Citadel when threats to it are traced away from it, but it doesn't see much combat these days. Bailey was actually quite surprised when he was given command of the Normandy as the vessel, but they could apparently think of no one else worthy to take it but your friend and no other way to use it in the new combat-light galaxy of ours. All of your Engineer's also still work there by the way."

"I wouldn't be able to think of many more people worthy to operate that ship. I'm glad Bailey has it." Shepard said.

"Jack is still teaching at Grissom Academy to this day. Her students took separate paths, but most stuck with the military. Krogan Grunt is the right hand of Krogan Wrex who both are running Tuchanka alongside Krogan Bakara…" Henry said.

"What's with all of the Krogan titles?" Shepard asked. "What happened to Urdnot?"

"The clan system was abolished as a dividing practice among their people. They now all fly under the unified Krogan flag. Speaking of Tuchanka, it is significantly greener now thanks to the Reaper's, but still has a long path to full recovery." Henry said.

"That's good… I remember having to make sure that Mordin's sacrifice meant something…" Shepard replied. The Doctor was now running scanners over him as he lay down.

"It meant a lot. Without Doctor Solus, Tuchanka would not be what it is today even with the Reapers help." Henry said. "Or, at least that's what the eggheads tell me."

Shepard nodded.

"Anyways, next is Miranda Lawson." Henry said. "After you last saw her, she returned her sister to her family and her education. She wanted to keep a close watch on her, so she settled down there."

"I didn't think Miranda would let the Alliance track her so specifically." Shepard said.

"She didn't before, you'll understand in a moment." Henry replied. "She quickly grew bored with her settled down life and contacted the Alliance for a job as an Extranet Intelligence Officer. This allowed her to stay close to her sister while still doing something challenging. This is when she told the Alliance of her location, which is classified according to these records so I'm afraid I can't tell you more…"

"It's enough to know she's alright." He answered. "I can get the location out of them later."

"Very well, moving on… Zaeed Massani continued bounty hunting. He tracked down a former Blue Suns boss named Vido and killed him. He still bounty hunts to this day." Henry continued.

"Good for him. He finally got his revenge." Shepard said.

"Liara T'Soni shut down her operation as the Shadow Broker as she realized that most of her agents were dead anyways… not only that, the new galaxy didn't need a figure like that. She decided to return to her life as an archeologist alongside her Drell husband Feron. She's currently digging up the remains of the beacon you found on Thessia."

"Guess it was serious after all…" Shepard wondered.

"Samara quit the Justicar order after the battle for Earth. Only a few other Justicars remained, but she decided she didn't want to do it anymore. She went to live with her daughter at the Monastery they rebuilt together." Henry said.

"It's surprising to me that Samara would give that up…" Shepard said. "She was always about the code. I wonder how she's like without it…"

"I wouldn't know." Henry replied.

"Well, continue then."

"Kelly Chambers returned to her previous identity and finally overcame her memories of the Collectors. She's working aboard the SR-2 alongside Commander Bailey."

"That's good." Shepard said.

"Specialist Traynor also still works aboard the Normandy SR-2. But instead of playing the role of yeoman as she did previously, she runs the miniature R&D division working out of the conference room which was converted back to a lab."

"Where'd the conference room go?" Shepard asked.

"It was moved back to where it was before." Henry said. "James Vega accepted his invitation into the N7 program. He currently runs a quick strike team that specializes in defusing terrorist operations."

"I knew he had it in him." Shepard said.

"Your Mother, the now other Admiral Shepard, commands the fleets in Admiral Hackett's place." Henry said.

"Good job Mom..." He said to himself.

"Finally, Javik the Prothean disappeared after the battle. We don't know where he is dead or alive." Henry said.

"He went out to the graves of his dead friends and killed himself." Shepard said bluntly. "He told me before we rushed the Conduit."

"Well… I guess he didn't really have that much left to live for." Henry said. "Next is Steve Cortez, he still flies the shuttle for the Normandy. Apparently, he didn't want to leave that posting after the war even though he was just there for the retro-fits."

"Finally, Diana Allers is still a journalist, although she now is on the citadel. She made a documentary in your honor though, it was very touching."

"I bet…" Shepard replied. It was still kind of odd knowing that people had thought he was dead for so long.

"Okay Shepard, all done. Sorry it took so long. You haven't been through a proper checkup in nearly a decade you know…" Chakwas said.

"So what's the news doc?" Shepard asked.

"Your right as rain and healthy… I thought you had Palladium poisoning for a few moments, but it seems to be a component of your artificial brain which gets into your bloodstream. Your organs seem to have some kind of natural resistance to it though, so you'll be fine." She replied.

"That's alright, that's all of the files I have anyways." Henry said. "Why don't we walk to the parking lot and Chakwas can use her personal vehicle to take you to her home? We have a taxi for you if that is not a preferable option, or if the good doctor doesn't want you there."

"Do not worry about it, I will take him." Chakwas said. "I'm sure he wouldn't want to disrespect the elderly."

"Try and hide yourself out there Admiral. People could really ruin your life if they know you're alive right now. I'm pretty sure you want to visit your teammates that are still alive without the hassle of the press." Henry said.

"I'll make sure to." Shepard said as they stepped out into the hallway. "Why don't you go ahead and start the car doc? I'm sure you don't want to hear everything else he's been instructed to tell me."

"I agree. I will meet you outside." Doctor Chakwas said.

"The Alliance is offering whatever posting you would like if you want to return to military work. It doesn't have to be a strategic one like the one your rank represents either. You have the power to choose your own path. They don't want you to make your decision now; you can think about it as you visit your friends across the Galaxy." Henry said. "The Normandy SR-3 will be waiting here when you get back. You can take a flight from there to anywhere you want to go, but I suggest you visit the Citadel first. If you would like to take the SR-2 from there, we will arrange it so that Commander Bailey will be ready to hand it over to you. If you could, I'm sure Bailey would like to have the SR-3. Or you could even just get the crew you want from Bailey and transfer them to the SR-3, it's up to you.

"Either way, you've already been reinstated again as a Council Spectre and thus have free run of the Galaxy. We would prefer if you were using this false ID to prevent the press getting wind of you."

Henry handed a folder to him that Shepard guessed was false papers and such.

"With that mouthful taken care of, I don't have anything else I need to say to you. It was great to meet you Admiral Shepard; I'm going to get back to my wife and son now." He said shaking Shepard's hand again. "Oh, and I wouldn't worry about the man your girlfriend is in a relationship with. If she truly loved you, then she'll come back."

"Personal experience?" Shepard asked.

"Well, my wife waited because she knew I was alive. Not to mention that she was guilty that she killed me, so not exactly. It's more instinct." He said. "Either way, good luck."

Shepard nodded and headed for the way out.


	3. Chapter 3: Old Friends

**Sorry for the long wait between chapters. You will want to re-read the first 2 as well (If you were a fan of this story prior to the 20th of November), as I updated them with tons more content and changed a few things so that everything makes more sense and that it closer matches my vision for this story.**

* * *

**Mass Effect: Rebirth**

**By Obrusnine**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Old Friends**

* * *

Shepard did not speak on the journey to Doctor Chakwas's home; he just remained silent and took in the rebuilt city of Vancouver around him. He had "seen" pictures and videos of the things he had help rebuild when he was the catalyst, but it was never quite the same as actually being there. Breathing the air… watching the people and the traffic… experiencing the city.

He just felt so alive, more than he had felt in the years he had spent as some high-end computer program controlling a race of living machines that were decreasing in relevance with every passing year. He had never thought he would be able to see the world like this again. He thought he would just have to watch his friends and family pass him by from inside a computer while they were able to pass on and he was stuck in limbo.

Doctor Chakwas seemed to understand what he was thinking about for some reason, because she opted to leave him alone for the entire ride. She kept her eyes on the passing streams of flying traffic and piloting the skycar. He appreciated it more than she could possibly know, and he smiled as they passed several buildings. As he did this though, his thoughts drifted to old memories from the time before the Catalyst.

They drifted to the friends who he now knew he would never see again. He knew he had looked them up as the Catalyst, yet he could not remember where any of them were until Henry had told him. He could remember everything else crystal clear though… the reconstruction of Tuchanka, the repair of Earth, of Thessia… and of a countless number of other worlds that were too numerous to name.

Yet his friends had drawn a huge blank. He hadn't known what they had been doing… He didn't even remember where his own love lived. Eden Prime… with a son. Shepard wondered whose he was as Doctor Chakwas landed in a rather modest apartment complex and shut off the car.

"Are you ready?" She asked after a few minutes of sitting there.

"Yea…" Shepard replied. She shut off the skycar and the canopy rose allowing them to get out of the car. They walked to the front of it as he looked around curiously. "You live here? I would think that helping save the galaxy would have had a larger payout than this."

"Yes and no to living here." She replied.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"That lad didn't mention it, but I still work on the Normandy. I'm on vacation here, although I was planning to head somewhere significantly warmer before you showed up." Doctor Chakwas said. "I'm having a more exciting vacation then I thought I would have."

"So you just rented an apartment here?" Shepard asked.

"No." She replied. "I've owned an apartment here for a long time. I haven't actually been inside for a few years. It's cleaned regularly though… just in-case I do decide to visit. Or retire. Also, before you ask about helping save the galaxy… I did get paid a particularly large sum two years after the fact as did every other member of the Normandy crew, but I donated most of it to charity and only kept a little for myself.

"I'm not really one to keep money instead of putting it where it is needed. I have no need of it; I've been with the military all my life… and I hope to be there until it ends."

"You're aware that the military has a mandatory retirement age of 70 right?" Shepard asked. "Or does that not apply to doctors?"

"I honestly thought I would be dead by now, but yes it does apply. I guess I will have to retire soon…" She replied as she walked up to the elevator door and inserted a key into the pad next to it. He imagined it made the elevator bring them to the apartment of the owner of the key. "Honestly though, maybe it's a good idea. I'm not sure these old bones can take much more of this…"

"You'll be fine." Shepard reassured her as they stepped into the elevator. "Although if you do retire, you would deserve it. You've been through a lot even before you were a member of my crew. I imagine you would miss all of the excitement though."

"Now that's the truth. I guess I'm just used to it by now." She said. "In fact, I didn't even want to take the vacation. It was mandatory to."

"Well, I'm sure it had a good reason to be mandatory Doctor. You never got off of the ship unless it was to go to the hospital and help out if I remember correctly." Shepard said in response.

"You have a good point. I'm glad I took it now though, otherwise I wouldn't have been here to greet you." She said as the elevator stopped and opened out onto an equally modest apartment. It looked clean, yet not like anybody had lived here recently. "I had someone leave the brandy here for me; it will probably be in the fridge… Why don't you sit down and relax?"

"I think I've had enough relaxing if you don't mind." Shepard replied.

"Well, I wouldn't know. You still haven't told me what you've been doing as this "Catalyst" for the past eight years." She said as she walked into the kitchen and Shepard heard a beep as she pressed the button to open her fridge.

"Well, I've been dead, but not dead."

"Now that sounds interesting."

As she took out the brandy, Shepard explained what he had been doing as the Catalyst for the last eight years. Breaking up squabbles, stopping criminals, helping people…

When he was done, she opened the brandy and poured it into two glasses. They drank in silence for the most part, appreciating the drink and the moment.

"I've missed you guys Karen." Shepard said. "For so long, I was lonely and alone, but now I've got you… and I should be able to get my crew back to go gallivanting around this new galaxy of ours."

"I missed you to Shepard. You were, are, my best friend." She replied. "It's just nice to be sharing this drink with you instead of Engineer Adams for once. He keeps making advances, and it's getting on my nerves."

They both laughed.

"Well, you should take him up on it then. You need to learn how to enjoy life Doc." Shepard replied.

"Ha, I guess I should. He's already got one step right after all, getting me unbelievably drunk every year." She said laughing.

"I'm doing that to you right now, does that mean I'm making advances to?" He asked grinning.

"I guess it means you are! Hahahaha!"

They went on with small talk for hours until the drink was finally gone. Shepard's new body had never consumed alcohol before, and he hadn't had a real drink in eight years, so the entire world was spinning for a few minutes before he just collapsed on the couch and slept.

He woke the next morning to a good smell but a blasting headache. He opened his eyes and sat up groaning. Doctor Chakwas was standing in the kitchen in front of him.

"Sounds like you've got one hell of a hangover there my friend." She said smiling.

"You don't?" Shepard asked rubbing his throbbing temples.

"Here, drink this." She said grabbing a small glass bottle and throwing it over to him.

"More Brandy?" He asked.

"Of course not, it's a family hangover cure." She replied.

"Oh, alright then."

He popped the cap off of the bottle and tried to down the bottle in a few gulps. He quickly regretted this decision and spit a large portion right back out onto the carpet in front of him gasping as it burned his throat and the horrid taste of it hit him.

"I should warn you the taste is quite strong…" She said.

"That was a bit late." Shepard croaked.

"The burning will go away soon. In the meantime, headache gone?"

"Yea, actually. What is this stuff anyways?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know."

"Uh… what are you cooking?" Shepard asked.

"Scrambled eggs." She replied.

"That actually sounds delicious, but I haven't eaten in eight years, so I guess it would be."

"Certainly better than military rations hm?"

"Touché."

They engaged in small talk until the food was done, and then they ate in silence. When they were done, Doctor Chakwas brought the dishes up to the dishwasher and put them in. When she was done with that, she turned around and leaned up against it.

"So, where are we going first?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.

"Well, we're going to go see the entire crew right? I'll be transporting you around."

"Oh, alright then. Well, Kasumi seems to be the closest, so we'll go see her first. After that, we'll go see Anderson, then Jacob. After that, we'll head back to the Normandy SR-3 and go to the Citadel while I take over the SR-2. After that… we'll head to Eden Prime so I can go see Ashley. Then we'll keep going from there." Shepard said.

"Sounds fun, we better get going then. Kasumi is currently staying in the Vancouver office nearby, but we don't know how long that will last." Dr. Chakwas said.

Shepard smiled.

"Alright, let's get moving then Doctor."


End file.
